| EPSRC Reference: |
GR/L69831/01 |
| Title: |
POLYMER DEGRADATION AND ITS MODIFICATION BY GAMMA- IRRADIATION UNDER SIMULATED PHYSIOLOGICAL CONDITIONS |
| Principal Investigator: |
Williams, Professor R |
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| Department: |
Clinical Engineering |
| Organisation: |
University of Liverpool |
| Scheme: |
Standard Research (Pre-FEC) |
| Starts: |
29 September 1997 |
Ends: |
28 September 2000 |
Value (£): |
163,270
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| No relevance to Underpinning Sectors |
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Summary on Grant Application Form |
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Polymer degradation in the in vivo environment had a significant bearing on the application of these materials in medical devices. Putatively stable polymers have been shown to degrade and degradable polymers lose their properties at unpredictable rates. This project proposes to develop a realistic in vitro environment to model polymer degradation in vivo. This will draw on our knowledge of the biological response to implanted polymers so that we can estimate which biological moieties are present at different stages of the wound healing response which may have an influence on polymer degradation. All polymers used in medical devices require sterilization and on of the most commonest methods of sterilization is gamma-irradiation. It is known that this can have a range of effects on the properties of polymers. This project proposes to study the influence of the gamma-irradiation dose on the physical, chemical and structural properties of these polymers and its influence on their degradation in the test environments. The project will use these data to determine if gamma-irradiation can be applied beneficially to improve the functionality of polymeric medical devices.
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Key Findings |
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This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
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Potential use in non-academic contexts |
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This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
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Impacts |
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| Description |
This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk |
| Summary |
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| Date Materialised |
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Sectors submitted by the Researcher |
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This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
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| Project URL: |
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| Further Information: |
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| Organisation Website: |
http://www.liv.ac.uk |